Do Antibiotics have a lot to answer to?
Antibiotic Resistance has become a worldwide issue…..
The development of antibiotics was one of the most important advances of medicine. Many bacterial infections (e.g. tuberculosis and infected wounds) that had previously had no effective treatment and often killed people, became treatable with antibiotics, saving millions of lives.
Now, because of the overuse and misuse of antibiotics, bacterial infections that were once easily cured with antibiotics are becoming harder to treat. This is due to antibiotic resistance.The World Health Organization has called this one of the biggest threats to human health today.Antibiotic resistance is a global problem, and it is ongoing. If we don’t act now, we could return to the way it was in the pre-antibiotic era, where common and life-threatening bacterial infections can no longer be treated.
What is antibiotic resistance?
Antibiotic resistance happens when bacteria change to protect themselves from an antibiotic. They are then no longer sensitive to that antibiotic. When this happens, antibiotics that previously would have killed the bacteria, or stopped them from multiplying, no longer work.
What are ‘superbugs’?
‘Superbugs’ are bacteria that are resistant to several different antibiotics. The methicillin resistantStaphylococcus aureus (MRSA) bacteria commonly found in hospitals, and the bacteria that cause tuberculosis (Mycobacterium tuberculosis), are now very hard to treat because of ANTIBIOTIC RESISTANCE.
My Journey With Antibiotics
From an early age I suffered with repeated bouts of tonsillitis and for whatever reason, the doctor that was treating me insisted that I was 6 years of age before he would remove them. Up until they were removed I had repeated prescriptions of antibiotics in attempt to eliminate the infections.  Now on one hand delaying the removal of the tonsils was good as we know now that tonsils play a valuable role in looking after our immune system. On the other hand the amount of antibiotics that I ended up swallowing caused long lasting problems to my immune system as well as my digestive system. In the years to follow I had repeated Urinary Tract Infections, Bladder infection, kidney infection and liver infection, all treated with antibiotics.
Knowing that even one dose of antibiotics can mean long lasting problems to the digestive system, it’s important to understand that without the right information and treatment your gut may be depleted of the healthy bacteria that it needs to fight off the nasty ones that it doesn’t need.
Probiotics in the form of cultured vegetables, kefir, apple cider vinegar, (made with the mother apple), yogurt, and purchased over the counter capsules or powder are all products that are good for building up the healthy bacteria in your gut.
Coconut oil is an essential for using as a treatment to kill bacteria as well as build your immune system and fight of Antibiotic resistance. Â So what makes coconut oil so different? It contains MCFAs (Medium-chain fatty acids), sometimes referred to as MCTs (Medium-chain triglycerides). Â The MCTs in coconut oil are identical to those found in human breast milk and possess the same antimicrobial properties.
From Bruce Fife’s book “Coconut Cures” he writes:
Coconut oil is one of the best natural remedies you can use for infectious illness. With nothing more than coconut oil I’ve seen chronic skin fungus healed in a matter of days, bladder infections vanish in less than two days, and people recover from the flu within as little as 12 hours. One of the most remarkable characteristics of medium-chain fatty acids in coconut oil is their ability to kill germs and parasites. When we eat MCTs they are transformed inside our bodies in monoglycerides and medium-chain fatty acids, both of which possess powerful antimicrobial properties capable of destroying disease-causing bacteria, fungi, viruses and parasites.
One of the drawbacks with antibiotic treatment is that friendly gut bacteria are killed too. These bacteria are necessary for good health. They produce important nutrients such as B vitamins and compete with harmful organisms, such as candida – the single celled fungus. Â If the good bacteria are killed by antibiotic use, candida can overrun the intestinal tract causing candidiasis. This is an often overlooked health problem that generally goes unrecognised but leads to many health problems and is very difficult to correct. Some people battle with chronic systemic candida infections for years.
Unlike antibiotics that are only good against bacteria, MCFAs are effective in killing bacteria as well as viruses, fungi, and parasites. MCFAs and more specifically their medium-chain monoglycerides not only kill many disease-causing microorganisms but evidence suggests that they enhance the immune system. Therefore, they can be of benefit against most any infectious disease. Since coconut oil is a food, you can eat it every day to help keep illness away.
What to remember about this article:
- Avoid taking antibiotics unless you really have to.
- Strengthen your immune system by eating a diet that consists mainly of – fresh fruit and vegetables, some meat, chicken or fish, dairy and whole grains. Â Eat less of refined sugar, white flour products and processed foods.
- Take a regular dose of probiotics.
- Include coconut oil in your diet both orally and externally.
- Remember that it can take as little as one dose of antibiotics to rob your intestinal tract of good bacteria.
Avoid antibiotic resistance with a daily dose of coconut oil.
Ref: NPS Medicine Wise
